Qantas now offers Covid-19 travel insurance for international flights

Qantas is now offering Covid-19 travel insurance as the airline prepares to resume international flights from December 18, 2021.

Qantas’ Covid-19 travel insurance isn’t included in the price of your airfare: it’s one of many add-ons that can be purchased when booking your flight or any time afterwards, such as when you’re ticking off bookings for hotels, car hire and the like.

The cost depends on your age, where you're flying to and how long you'll be away, but typically ranges from $118-$427 for a one week trip overseas.

What’s covered under Qantas’ Covid-19 travel insurance?

Qantas has added Covid-19 coverage to its Qantas International Comprehensive Travel Insurance package, and most of the benefits are activated when either the policyholder, their travel companion or a close relative or business partner back home tests positive for Covid-19.

For the insured traveller, coverage extends to cancellation costs incurred if a journey needs to be cancelled before it begins – such as if, despite being fully vaccinated and ready to fly, you show positive for Covid-19 on a pre-departure test taken 72 hours before your flight.

Qantas’ Covid-19 cover also takes care of additional expenses faced during a trip: for example, if you're denied boarding on a flight either due to a positive Covid-19 test or because an airline suspects you have Covid-19.

If a close relative or business partner in Australia is hospitalised or dies due to Covid-19 and you need to cancel your trip, pre-paid costs may also be covered.

Other scenarios – like the unexpected closure of your accommodation due to a coronavirus outbreak on the premises – are covered too, subject to conditions.

Additionally, if you test positive, or are identified as a ‘close contact’ of a positive Covid-19 case during your journey and are confined to compulsory quarantine, there’s coverage for those additional accommodation, meal and travel costs, including reasonable in-room entertainment.

If you’re delayed returning home – and being unexpectedly stuck in quarantine is a good example – the policy can also look after additional childcare and pet care costs in Australia.

For full details of what’s covered, head to the Qantas Insurance website.

What’s not covered by Qantas’ Covid-19 travel insurance?

As with any insurance policy, exclusions apply – and it’s important to understand them before relying on the insurance coverage.

On this policy, “change of mind” isn’t covered: for instance, if government restrictions don’t prevent you from travelling to a particular country but you decide not to go anyway due to the risk of Covid-19.

Also not covered: the costs of broadly-imposed government quarantine which isn’t a direct result of either a positive Covid-19 diagnosis or due to being a close contact of the same.

An example of this would be entering mandatory 7- or 14-day hotel quarantine at your destination; likewise, as this is international travel insurance, the cost of going into hotel quarantine on your return to Australia isn’t included.

These are just some of the exclusions that apply to Qantas’ COVID-19 cover: again, the Qantas Insurance website has the full details.

How much does Qantas’ Covid-19 travel insurance cost?

It’s worth pointing out that Qantas’ insurance doesn’t only cover COVID-19: that coverage is just part of the airline’s International Comprehensive Travel Insurance bundle, which also provides protection for lost luggage, travel delays and so on.

The cost of Qantas’ international comprehensive travel insurance policy varies depending on the length of your trip, your destination of choice, and in some cases, a traveller’s age.

Here’s a sample of quotes we obtained through the Qantas website, based on an adult traveller aged in their mid-40s, travelling overseas in early 2022:

• One week in Singapore: $118
• One week in the United Kingdom: $187
• One week in the United States: $427

When booking flights through the Qantas website, you’ll find an insurance quote as part of the booking process:

There’s no obligation to purchase this – but if you book your flight without insurance and later decide you’d like to buy cover, this can be done through the Qantas Insurance website.

How does Qantas’ Covid-19 cover differ from other airlines?

Several international airlines currently provide dedicated Covid-19 coverage at no additional cost for eligible travellers.

For example, at the time of writing, Qantas’ partner Emirates provides gratis cover for up to US$500,000 in overseas medical expenses after a positive Covid-19 diagnosis.

While Qantas charges extra for insurance, it’s a full ‘comprehensive travel insurance’ package just like you’d have bought in the days before the pandemic

That makes Qantas’ travel insurance a decent buy, particularly for coverage beyond Covid-19 itself – although it never hurts to shop around on price, with other insurers like Allianz and Covermore also selling policies that cover aspects of Covid-19.

The above is intended as a general guide only, drawn from information published by the insurer as available at the time of writing. Insurance policies can change over time. Executive Traveller makes no guarantee to the validity of any claim, or that the information published here remains up-to-date.

Conditions, exclusions, limits and policy terms and conditions apply to all travel insurance products, and may differ between policy types, plans and add-ons. Refer to the relevant policy documents for more specific information about the coverage available, and to determine whether a product adequately meets your needs. All questions regarding insurance policies and products must be directed to the insurer, and cannot be answered here or elsewhere by Executive Traveller staff.

Chris C.

Chris is a a former contributor to Executive Traveller.